Piston for internal-combustion engines



H. F. JOSEPH PISTON FQR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Oct. '20, 1925. 1,558,443

Filed Dec. 15, 1921 6 Hat/0 Y I 7 INVENTORL TTORNEY.

/7 J y W Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

Hanna? 1*. JOSEPH, or DAVENPORT, IOWA, assrenoa on ONE-HALF TO A. e. BUSH, or

DAVENPORT, IOWA.

PISTON FOR INTERNAL-CQMIBU'STION ENGINES.

Application fl led December 15, 1921. Serial No. 522,648.

to construct a piston which will automatieally adjust itself to a cylinder; third, to provide for automatically expanding the piston to take up any wear inthe cylinders; fourth, to provide means for utilizing bronze, aluminum or other metal for the wearing faces of a piston; fifth, to )rovide for the use of an aluminum body or pistons faced with a harder metal to avoid wear; sixth, to provide -means to prevent the scoring of cylinders by the wrist pins;

seventh,lto provide a durable, light weightpiston; eighth, to provide means which will allow the surface plates of a piston to expand without allowing the gases or compressed air to blow by while the piston is in motion; ninth,-to provide a piston which will readily adapt itself to manufacture in quantities and which can be easily assembled and adjusted; tenth, to provide spring-held means for expandin the outer surface of a piston combined with means for locking the spring-held means in position longitudinally upon the piston; eleventh, to provlde means for replacing the wearing surface of a piston without replacing the entire body thereof.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1. is a vertical elevation of a piston, but showing the right half in section on the middle line; Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the removable segments; .Fi 3 is a detail sli( )w ing the-adjusting ring; F 1g. 4- 1s an end view of one of the removable segments; Fig. 5 1s a detail of the adjusting ring; Fig. 6 is a detail of the lock nut Figures 7 and 8 are details of the lock spring; Fig. 9 is a detail of the tension spring and lig. 10 is a detail of the lock nut.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My piston consists of a body, 1, c0mprising a head and side walls with a hub 2, formed integral therewith to receive the wrist pin which secures the piston to the connecting rod.

.The upper portion of the piston forms a head, the lower edge of which is bevelled as shown at 6 to correspond with the bevel upon the upper end of removable segments, 3.

There are preferably four removable segments, 3, but the number may be increased or diminished to meet the requirements of any particular case. The upper and lower ends of the removable segments are bevelled at a suitable angle.

thevertical, but it is obvious that this angle may be increased or diminished as the requirements of each particular case demand.

The segments 3, have their inner surfaces curved as shown in Figure 4, to correspond with the outer surface of the body 1, of the piston, but an open space 7, is preferably left between the middle portions of the segments and the piston to lighten the casting and allow for expansion. The open space 7, is preferably surrounded by a ribbed por- For most purposes, I prefer an angle of approximately 30 from tion which extends inwardly from the seg- I ments and normally makes a close contact with the body of the piston, but obviously will be thrown outof immediate contact with the body ofthe piston when the segments are forced outwardly by the adjusting ring 9.

The upper and lower ends of the segments 3, are bevelled and are also provided with overlapping tongues 5, which correspond and fit into seats 4, formed in the adjacent side of the adjoinin segment. Eachseg. ment is provided wit two tongues 5, with two seats 4, so that the four segments interlock and form a complete and tight circumference for the piston when in position.

Shallow oil grooves 8, are formed in the segments extending all the way around the piston. v

The segments are held in place against the piston by the cylinder wall and by an adjusting ring 9, which surrounds the body of the piston 1, and is locked. in position by a lock nut 19, which is threaded on the inside by rivets 11, and its lower end is.adapted to Y enter recesses 16,cut in the lower edge of the lock' nut and in that manner "to secure the lock nut against turning.

A compression spring preferably of wire, is seated in the groove12, between the adjusting ring 9, and the lock nut 19.

This spring surrounds the body of the piston and undulates vertically as shown in Figure 9 so as to bear downwardly upon the lock nut 19, and against the adjusting ring 9.

While the spring 1-8, is preferably made of wire, it may be made of any suitable form of spring material and may be varied in size and proportions to fit the requirements of each particular case.

For clearness of illustration, the section lines are omitted inFigure 1 from the adjusting ring and lock nut, but the adjusting ring is in the form shown by the section 20, in Figure 3 and Figure 10 shows the form of the lock nut.

The adjusting ring 9, is slit as shown at 10 so as to allow something for contraction and expansion.

In the manufacture of my piston, I prefer to form'the body of die-cast aluminum and die-cast the segments either of aluminum or bronze, but it is obvious that other materials may be used as desired and I do not limit myself to these particular forms. The pistons and segments may also be cast in the ordinary way and machined if desecure it against turning.

sired.

In assembling my device, the, segments are interlockedand placed upon the piston body. The adjusting ring 9, is then placed upon the lower end of the piston, and the sprin 18, placed adjacent thereto and inserte in the groove 12. The lock nut 19,

*is then screwed upon the lower end of the piston, locking the spring in the groove 12, and the lock nutis turned up tight enough to cause the desired pressure upon the spring 18. The lock nut is then secured in position by allowing the lower end of the spring 17, to catch in one of the recesses 16, and As theinterior walls of the cylinder are worn by the pressure of the piston, the pressure of the spring upon the adjusting ring 9, will tend to drive it toward the top of the piston, producing a wedging action upon the segments 3, and forcing them outward radially from the body of the piston, thus holding them in close contact with the interior wall of the cylinder. The overlapping tongues 5, will prevent the escape of gases or compressed air past the segments.

In case the segments are worn by use, they may be replaced without replacing the body of the piston.

It is obvious that the form, size and proportions of the various parts ma be altered to fit the requirements of di erent eases without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It isalso obvious that the bevel at the top of the iston may be formed integral with the b0 y of the piston as shownin the drawings or a separate bevel ring may be used similar to the slip or adjusting rin shown in. the drawings at the lower end ofthe piston. In practice, I prefer to have the spring mounted at the lower end of the piston as it will keep cooler in that position than if the slip or adjusting ring and the spring are mounted at the upper end of the piston.

I claim:

1. In a piston, the combination with a.

body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a. plurality of segmental plates bevelled at their upper ends to correspond to .the bevel of the-head, and with bevels formed at the lower ends-of the plates, and

"means for exerting pressure outwardly and upwardly against the plates.

2. In a piston, the combination with a body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental plates bevelled. attheir upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the head, and with bevels formed at the lower ends of the plates, and an adjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower end of the piston.

3. In a piston, the combination with a body, having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental plates bevelled at their upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the head, and with bevels formed at the lower ends of the plates, and 'anIadjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower end of the piston having its upper surface bevelled to correspond with the bevel of the lower ends of the segmental plates.

1. In a piston, the combination with a body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental plates bevelled at their upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the head, and with bevels formed at the lower ends of the plates, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower end of the piston having its upper surface bevelled to correspond with thebevel of the lower ends of the segmental plates, and means for securing the adjusting ring snugly against the bevelled lower ends of the segmental plates.

5. In a" piston, the combination with a. body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental plates bevelled at their upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the. head, and with bevels formed at the lower ends of the plates, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower end of the piston having its upper surface bevelled to correspond with the bevel of the lower ends of the segmental plates, and spring operated means for securing the adjusting ring snugly against the bevelled lower ends of the segmental plates.

6. In a piston, the combination with a body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental plates bev-. elled at their upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the head, and with bevels formed at. the lower ends of the plates, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower end of the piston having its upper surface bevelled to correspond with the bevel of the lower ends of the segmental plates, a lock nut threaded upon the lower end of the piston body, and an adjusting ring slidingly mounted on the piston above the lock/ nut. j

7. In a piston, the combination with a body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental'plates bevelled at their upper ends to'correspond to the bevel of the head,- and with bevels formed at the lower ends of the plates, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower end of the piston aving its upper surface bevelled to correspond with the bevel of the lower ends of the segmental plates, a lock nut threaded upon the lower end of the piston body, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted on the piston above the lock nut, and a spring mounted between the lock nut and the adjusting ring.

8. In va piston, the combination with a body havin a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of ap urality of segmental plates bevelled at their upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the "head, and with @bevels formed at the lower ends of.the'plates, an

adjusting rin slidingl mounted upon the lower end t t e piston iavingfitsupper surface bevelled to corres ond withthe bevel of the lower ends of t esegmental plates, a lock nut threaded upon the lower end of the piston body, &IT-1I(I]11Stl11g ring slidingly mounted on the piston above the lock nut, and an undulating circular s ring seated between the lock nut and the a justing ring.

9. In a piston, the combination with abody having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, qf a'plurality of segmental plates bevelled at their. upper ends to correspond to the bevel of the head, and with bevels formed at the lower ends of the plates, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted upon the lower en of the piston having its upper surface bevelled 'to correspond with the bevel of the lower ends of the segmental plates; a lock the adjusting ring, a corresponding spring seat formed in thelock nut and'a sprmg seated in the spring seats.

10. In a piston, the combination with a body having a head bevelled upon its lower edge, of a plurality of segmental plates bevelled at their upper ends to correspond, to the bevel of the head, and with bevels formed atthe lower ends of the plates, an adjustin ring slidingly mounted upon the lower en of the piston having its upper surface bevelled to correspond with the bevel of the nut threadedupon the lower end of the piston body, an adjusting ring slidingly mounted on the piston above the lock nut, a spring seat formed in the lower and inner edge of the adjusting ring, a corresponding s ring seat formed 1n the'lo'ck nut and an un ulating circular spring seats.

11, In a piston, the combination with a suitable bod having a bevelled head formed at the top tli ring slidingly mounted upon the body near the lower end thereof, a lock nut threaded. upon the lower end of the body adjacent the adjusting ring, and segmental plates mounted upon the body between the bevelled head and'the bevelled adjusting ring.

12.In a piston, the combination with a suitable body having a bevelled head formed at the top'thereof, of a bevelled adjusting ring slidingly, mounted upon the body near seated in the spring lower ends of the segmental plates, a lock ereof, of a bevelled adjusting the lower end thereof, a lock nut threaded upon the lower end of'the body adjacent the adjusting ring and interlocking segmental lates mounted upon the body between the velled head and, the bevelled adjusting ring.

In testimony whereof he afiiires his signature.

. HARRY FQJOSEPH. 

